For You
by savvykristens
Summary: A series of one-shots about Liz and Ressler and how their relationship progresses.
1. The One Where Liz and Ressler Reunite

**The One Where Liz and Ressler Reunite**

* * *

Ressler pulled his car off onto a large patch of grass, comforted by how little traffic plagued this area of D.C. at 3 a.m. To the north of the Arlington Memorial Bridge, he could just barely make out the illuminated silhouette of the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial. He'd always found a strange sense of peace on this bridge. Perhaps it was the sound of the rushing waters of the Potomac River that calmed him; perhaps it was merely the otherwise silent evening. Washington D.C. was breathtaking at night. During those hours when the self-serving politicians were asleep, the beauty of the architectural structures could be appreciated for the symbolism they were meant to convey.

Of course, he hadn't come here tonight to ponder his choice of career or to question the character of the people his countrymen had deemed trustworthy. He had come here after failing to make it to his former partner's "name-clearing" party. Her gift had taken a lot longer to obtain than he'd expected, and he hadn't made it back to the black site in time to attend the party that welcomed her home. He had made it in time to follow her, as she drove away from the party, to this bridge. He wondered if she came here for solace too. Was she looking over the waters, pondering their first case together ... the case that had led them to a bridge much like this one?

"Three years," he murmured incredulously, as he removed the keys from the ignition, preparing to exit his car. Had he really known Elizabeth Keen for only three years? He felt like he'd known her for a lifetime. It was easy to feel that way about someone when you'd been through what they had been through together.

He climbed out of his car, and pulled his coat tighter, to fend off the cold air. There would be no sound of the rushing waters of the Potomac tonight; the river was practically frozen. As he approached her, his footsteps fell nearly silent in the freshly fallen snow. She stood on the bridge, just a short distance from him. She was facing the other way, and her dyed blonde hair blew wildly as a burst of cold wind cut through the night.

"Keen," he called out as he grew closer to her.

She spun around, startled. Relief washed over her face as she recognized him. Lights from the street illuminated the bridge, and he could see her eyes as he approached her. She looked like she might have been crying. She stood still, seemingly unable to move. He wondered if she was thinking, as he was, about the last time they had been this close to one another. He had been trying to arrest her. Tonight, the discomfort on both of their parts was understandable.

"You aren't planning to jump, are you?" He asked dryly. It was a feeble attempt to relieve some of the awkwardness between them.

"Not unless you're planning to arrest me," Liz replied, as she gazed at him, taking in every one of his features. During her time on the run, she'd been worried that she might never see any of her coworkers - her _friends_ \- again. Now, she drank in the sight of him, committing every detail to memory. The chiseled jaw; the guarded expression; his eyes, which harbored an unusual amount of warmth for such a cool color. And the way he tucked his hands in his pockets when he didn't know what to say. _He still walks the same way,_ she thought with a smile, as he strode confidently toward her.

Ressler smiled slightly in response. She thought that she detected an uncharacteristic unease as she studied him and he replied, "Unless you've committed a heinous crime in the past six hours, I think we're good."

She swallowed, working to keep her emotions in check. "Well," she said a bit shakily, "I'm contemplating taking a shot at you for missing the party tonight. Aram obviously went to a lot of trouble to put it together, and it was a great time." She looked away and was silent for a moment before quietly adding, "I assumed you were too angry with me to come."

Ressler raised his eyebrows. "Oh, I'm still angry with you Keen. But that's not why I wasn't there tonight."

She smiled at him and wrapped her arms around herself in an attempt to warm herself. "Oh?" she replied. "You always could carry a grudge."

He nodded. He pulled his hand out of his pocket and held it out toward her. "It's rude to show up to a party without a present."

Liz was stunned, and she suddenly found herself fighting off the urge to throw her arms around him. She knew her partner wasn't much of a hugger, period. Now, after she'd broken his trust, she knew better than to expect him to be comfortable with her so soon. "You didn't have to …"

"Open it," he interrupted her half-hearted protest.

"Ressler ..."

" _Come on, Keen._ It's freezing out here."

She took the gift from him, unable to prevent a slight smile as she noted the poor job he'd done wrapping it. "They make gift bags for people who can't wrap, you know."

Ressler impatiently took a pocket knife out of his jacket and cut a slit in the wrapping paper.

She pulled the paper away, revealing a black pouch, one that was instantly recognizable to her. . "Ressler… Oh, my God…" She slid her hand in the pouch as tears welled up in her eyes. It was her badge, and a new clearance card for the black site. She looked up and met Ressler's eyes. Shaking her head, she was unable to find the words to express what this gift meant to her. "I ,,," she stammered. "I can't take this." She held the badge out to him.

He placed both of his hands on top of hers, making sure she held the badge securely. "Yes, you can."

"No." She shook her head adamantly. "I don't deserve this again. I don't-"

"Yes, you do," he said sternly.

She stared at him incredulously as first one, and then another, tear rolled down her cheek. Now she broke into a full smile. Instead of holding the badge, she squeezed his hands. There were so many things she wanted to say, but she was afraid that if she tried to speak, the tears would flow more freely. She worried that , after all she'd been through and then the emotion of this entire evening, if she began crying in earnest, she might never stop.

Ressler, too, was moved by the moment, though his emotions didn't show in the same way Liz's did. A warm feeling stirred inside of him, a feeling he'd been a stranger to for a long time. As he stood in her presence, he was reminded of how much he missed her. The last few months had been painful, but not only because she'd put him in such a terrible position. It was also because he had _missed_ her. He'd spent every moment of every day trying to catch her, trying to clear her name, trying to beat the Cabal, so that he could "uphold the law." But it had hadn't only been about the law or justice. He was realizing that everything he'd done had also been for Liz. He had hoped for the opportunity to work on more cases with her and to share more moments like this.

"Pull yourself together, Keen," he said quietly, though he was also directing the words at himself.

Liz pulled her hands away from his to wipe her eyes. "I held it together for everyone except you," she said. "I got through Aram and Samar's card. I got through Cooper's speech. Tom's necklace. _God,_ Reddington even gave me the key to a new apartment…" She shoved him lightly, smiling through her tears. "Damn you, Ressler." She took the badge and gave it a warm look before sliding it in her pocket.

Ressler's kind smile disappeared when he noticed the necklace she was wearing. "Tom has terrible taste in jewelry."

"Really? Out of everything I said, you got _that?_ "

Ressler reached out to inspect the necklace. "Did he _steal_ this? The guy has no _legal_ form of income to ,,," He stopped when the necklace suddenly broke in half and fell over the side of the bridge. He dropped his hand, as though that would take away the fact that he had just broken the necklace.

They both stood still for a moment. Liz couldn't believe her eyes. "Ressler!" she chastised, looking over the side of bridge, as if she could see the necklace.

He held his hands up in a mock surrender. "Hey! That was an accident!"

"That necklace probably cost him a fortune!" she exclaimed, now looking on the bridge for the necklace, though she knew it was no use...

Ressler looked away, trying to hide a grin. "It broke so easily, it must've been cheap," he said, beginning to chuckle at the absurdity of the situation.

Liz shot him a sharp look. "This isn't funny."

Something about the seriousness of her expression made him start to laugh, and he leaned back against one of the street lamps so that he wouldn't buckle over. The more he laughed, the funnier the situation became. Perhaps it was because he hadn't gotten any sleep in twenty-four hours, but he couldn't make himself stop. He only laughed louder when Liz shoved him again.

Liz was only _trying_ to be concerned about the necklaced. She hadn't really cared for it. It was a bit flashy for her taste. She was more concerned with why this was so damn funny to Ressler. She knew the two men didn't like one another, but this was just juvenile. She took a deep breath and listened to his laugh though. She wasn't sure she had ever heard it, at least not like this. It was a loud and infectious laugh, not the kind you would expect from someone as closed-off as Ressler.

She allowed herself to loosen up, and then, she began to laugh with him. This entire night had been a whirlwind of emotions, and at least she wasn't crying anymore. She walked over to the street lamp he leaned against, taking a stance beside him. The two grew quiet again, and she watched Ressler's stoic front return as quickly as it had vanished. She looked over to him, wishing he'd smile again.

"I missed you," she told him suddenly, feeling like she needed to make sure he was aware of this.

For just a moment, she caught a glimpse of something vulnerable in his expression. It was gone far too quickly for her to decipher what exactly it was.

"I know," he said loftily, looking out into the night. 'I can't _imagine_ how meaningless life was without me for three whole months."

She rolled her eyes. Here, on a bridge, in the middle of the night, in subzero temperatures, she felt more normal than she had in months, in years maybe. Reddington's words from a while ago came back to her. "You need to find the peace below the winds," he'd told her. And here, with Ressler, she had found peace, if only for a moment. She tilted her head back against the cold metal of the street lamp, inhaling deeply.

Ressler was watching her, unable to tear his eyes from her. "What are you thinking about?"

"Something Reddington told me."

He appeared troubled. "Me too."

She gave him a wistful smile. "I think I need to head home. I can't feel my fingers."

Ressler nodded, moving from his spot against the street lamp. He reached into his coat pocket, pulling out her final gift.

Liz eyed him in disbelief. " _Another_ one?" She hadn't expected this kind of welcoming from him. Truthfully, she hadn't expected one at all, not after everything that had happened. Perhaps he'd missed her more than he was letting on.

Ressler gave her a boyish grin. "Open it. This one might reduce you to sobs."

"Very funny." She took the package from him, digging her nails into the wrapping paper. She really hoped he hadn't gone over the top. She actually _was_ afraid she was in danger of crying again, simply because she was so exhausted.

Ressler's grin widened as she broke through the wrapping paper.

This time it was Liz who tilted her head back in and laughed. "You have _got_ to be kidding me." The present was a kit of brown hair dye.

Ressler shrugged. "The blonde's awful."

She smiled slyly, knowing exactly how to irritate him. "Tom liked it."

"All the more reason to get rid of it," he snapped. Ressler couldn't understand why she would have anything to do with Tom Keen. If she hadn't looked so happy, he might have given her a lecture about it.

Liz chuckled, turning the box over in her hands. She sighed, looking up at him, her blue eyes softening. "Thank you."

Ressler gave her a gruff nod, and she gave his shoulder a friendly pat before walking back to her car. He remained on the bridge, his mind racing as he thought over Reddington's words from a few months ago.

"What you _feel_ about her could make all the difference," Reddington had told him wisely. Ressler hadn't thought much about his words at the time. He had been too preoccupied thinking about how much Reddington frustrated him. Now, as he stood alone, still able to feel the warmth from Liz's hands just moments ago, he worried that Reddington had been hinting at something beyond his friendship with Liz.

"Son of a bitch," he swore, irritated that even in personal matters, the guy was always one step ahead of him.

* * *

 **Author's** **Note:** Hi everyone! This is my first ever Blacklist fanfiction, and because of that, I was very nervous about posting it. I set this oneshot a little ways into future, after Liz's name is cleared. (We know Red and the gang will make it happen somehow!) After Red's comments about Ressler in the Season 3 Premiere, and the new dynamic between Ressler and Liz, I couldn't help writing about them some. I hope I was able to do their characters justice, and I really hope that you enjoyed it! If any of you have any requests, you can comment on here, message me on here, or you can message me on tumblr. My URL is lizziekeen. :)


	2. The One Where Liz Realizes

**The One Where Liz Realizes**

* * *

It was uncomfortably silent in the car; Ressler and Liz had not spoken to one another since they'd informed Cooper of their failure to capture their latest blacklister. Ressler's eyes remained solely on the road, and Liz would not look anywhere but out of the passenger's window. She knew he was furious with her at the moment, but this silence… this palpable tension between them, had been growing over past few months. How was it possible that she could feel closer than she ever had to Ressler, while also feeling as though they had never been farther apart? He'd trusted her enough to introduce her to his brother, yet there were times he seemed unable to be comfortable in her presence. One day he would buy her a coffee on the way to work, and the next, he would take the stairs to avoid running into her in the elevator.

Liz leaned her head back against her seat and sighed. She closed her eyes, trying to ignore her growing guilt. She stood by the decision she had made earlier, but she hated that she had let him down again. She knew that his anger was only there to mask something much deeper. As for what he was masking... lately, she wasn't so sure. "Ressler," she began quietly, "I didn't -"

He tightened his grip on the steering wheel. _"Keen,"_ was all he said, though his tone made his message clearer: He didn't want to hear it.

Liz found herself feeling increasingly defensive. She couldn't stand the thought of disappointing him, of him thinking less of her. "I didn't have a choice."

This seemed to fire him up. "There is always a choice!" He snapped, nearly running the red light in front of them.

"If you were so certain I made the wrong decision, all you had to do was stop me," Liz told him boldly, knowing that she had him. Some time ago, Ressler would have gone straight to Cooper if Liz had stepped a toe out of line. Since they'd taken down the Cabal and cleared her name, Ressler had begun to keep things between them, something that she attributed to his recent experiences. Liz hadn't been the only one affected by her time on the run; the Cabal had dragged Ressler through the mud too. They hadn't framed him for twenty murders, but they had thrown him into a world of corruption and filth. He was a good person, and the Cabal had used his need to do the right thing against him. They had dangled a past addiction to drugs over his head, they had separated him from everyone he cared about, they had filled his world with deplorable people. They hadn't tried to frame him, they had tried to _ruin_ him.

 _Anyone but Ressler would've let them,_ Liz thought fondly.

Ressler made a sharp turn into his apartment complex, and Liz kept her eyes on him expectantly, waiting for a response. When he didn't grant her one, she pushed further. "We can't operate the way we used to, Ressler. We can't take some of these new blacklisters in, because three weeks later, they break out of prison." If Liz hadn't turned the monster they'd caught tonight into Reddington instead of the police, he would've been a free man in weeks. "This way we know he won't ever be able to hurt anyone again," she added. Reddington would see to it that he never lived to see another day.

Ressler shook his head at her and climbed out of the car. "That sounds great in theory, but the reality is not that black and white," he growled, grunting as he lifted a heavy box of case files from the backseat.

Liz followed him out of the car, raising her eyebrows. " _You're_ lecturing _me_ for only seeing things in black and white?" She scoffed and took his apartment key from him.

"His victims' families will never know who was responsible for the death of their loved ones, now, Keen. Thirty-six families will never get to see that monster be brought to justice. Thirty-six families will never know _peace,_ because of that decision you made. _"_

"The decision _you_ let me make!" Liz pointed out again, her voice rising. "If you disagree with something that I'm doing, speak up then! Don't take it out on me later."

Ressler set the box down on the sidewalk, throwing his arms out beside him. "Why would I speak up? So you can disregard what I have to say and do what you want anyway? So you can do what you did today?" He was inches from her face now, and Liz could see a multitude of emotions swirling in his eyes. Anger. Frustration. Something else she couldn't quite put her finger on.

"What did I do today? Enlighten me!"

"You put me in a position where I _can't_ do the right thing, because it will compromise _you."_ His eyes darkened, his brow furrowing. "And you know I won't do that." He reached for her arm and tilted his head. "Ressler, please," he whispered, in what was obviously an exaggerated impression of her voice.

Liz jerked her arm from his, her temper flaring. She wasn't exactly sure what he was accusing her of, but she was sure that she didn't like it. "I don't do that," she hissed.

"Yes you do. You do it all of the time. And you need to stop it," he ordered.

She couldn't step around him and walk away; he was too close to her. Her only option was to lean back against the car and cross her arms. "I need to stop saying _please?"_

His blue eyes flashed angrily. "You need to stop assuming I'll break every rule imaginable, because it's _you_ that's asking me to!"

"Well then stop making exceptions for me!" Liz fired back.

"I can't!" Ressler shouted, and something in his voice, something in his eyes, made Liz freeze. His walls had crumbled, if only for a moment. Now, she recognized the emotion in his eyes that she hadn't been able to decipher earlier. He was in pain. She was _hurting_ him. And this anguish, this _conflict_ she saw, was different from any pain she'd seen from him before. It hadn't come from a feeling of betrayal, it hadn't come from a feeling of exclusion, it had come from something much deeper. A wave of shocked washed over her, and she couldn't speak.

Others had alluded to Ressler's feelings for her being more than professional, and she'd written those claims off as ridiculous. She'd believed there was no way a man like Donald Ressler would have any feelings of the sort for her. He lived a life on the straight and narrow, and Liz lived a life as far from that as possible. He'd felt betrayed when she'd shot the Attorney General after he let her go, and Liz had assumed that was what was causing the tension between them. Now, she wasn't so sure… _He let me go,_ she reminded herself, examining his past actions in a new light. Ressler had thrown himself into the task of hunting her down like it was all he'd had left… he'd come at her with such vengeance, with such vigor. She thought back to the way he'd saved her from the Russians, to the way he had watched her run away. _He could've run after me, but he didn't,_ she realized. He also hated Tom with a passion that rivaled Red's… In spite of how her actions had clearly offended his moral code, no one had worked harder to exonerate her.

She met his eyes again, a strange mix of fear and awe swirling in her chest. She'd known Ressler was full of complicated layers, but this was one, as a profiler, she had never seen coming. Something told her that he hadn't seen it coming either, and that maybe he was just as - if not _more_ \- frightened by it than she was. "Maybe we should go over the case files tomorrow," she finally said quietly. Even though they were standing outside she felt like she needed some air.

It took Ressler a moment to find his voice. His loss of control had surprised him nearly as much as it had Liz. "That would probably be best," he said gruffly, feeling oddly embarrassed after his outburst. He actually _wanted_ Liz to leave. If she left, Ressler would be in control again. In control of his emotions, and in turn, in control of his decisions.

Liz nodded and moved from her stance against the car. Ressler was now only inches from her, and this made her even more nervous than she'd been moments ago. Her mind began to race as she studied his profile. How long had he had these feelings for her? How had she gone from being his partner to being so much more without even realizing it?

"Keen." Ressler cleared his throat and took a few steps backward. "Do you need a ride home?"

Liz's eyes widened. "It's just a few blocks. I can walk."

Ressler frowned. "Keen, it's at least a mile. And it's dark. Let me -"

"I can handle myself, Ressler," she snapped, the words coming out far more harshly than she'd intended. She turned and walked away from him, too shaken by her realization to look back.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Hey guys! I had such kind, positive feedback from my first post here, that I decided to turn this story into a series of one-shots about how I think Liz and Ressler will fall for one another, how their relationship will progress, ect. I'm terrible at titles, so I'm naming each chapter like Friends episodes, haha. I hope you guys enjoy this one! If you have any requests, message me here or on tumblr. My URL is lizziekeen. :)


	3. The One With The Pirates

**The One With The Pirates**

* * *

As Ressler tossed a canister of tear gas over his shoulder, gunshots echoed throughout the hull of the ship. They were so dangerously close to gunfire that he could feel the sensation of the bullets ricocheting off of the bulkhead.

"Keen," he screamed, the panic audible in his voice. His eyes were beginning to burn, the expected reaction to the tear gas. "Get up to the main deck," he ordered. "Now!"

He was aware as Liz raced past him, toward the ship's main hatchway, skillfully dodging gunfire as she headed in the direction of the main deck.

"Ressler!" She cried out, determined to make certain that he, too, was also moving toward

the deck. She had lost sight of him, as her eyes, too, stung from the potent tear gas. Again, she called out his name, straining her voice, hoping against hope that he could hear her above the chaos that enveloped them.

Failing to hear a response from Ressler, she now called out to Aram. She hoped the ear piece, through which Aram had been communicating with both of the agents, was still operable..

"Agent Keen," came the deceivingly soothing sound of Aram's voice, "to your immediate right, you will find an emergency tool kit. Grab it and move on to the main deck." On the other side of that soothing voice, Aram was feeling much less in control than he sounded. He continued, "Inside, you should find a crowbar or something similar. You'll have to use it to secure the door after you've closed it. Tell me when you're ready, and I'll walk you through it."

"Emergency tool kit," she repeated, gasping as a bullet whizzed dangerously close to her head. She resisted the urge to rub her eyes, knowing that would only worsen the stinging.

"Ressler!" She yelled again, as she rummaged blindly through the shelves to her right.

"He's firing back at the pirates," Aram informed her. "There's a sentence I never thought I'd say..." he murmured, more to himself than the agent.

He and Samar were safe aboard a Coast Guard Cutter, waiting for Liz and Ressler to make their escape.

This mission had gone sideways. A group of Malacca Pirates had commandeered a fishing boat. According to Reddington, the boat was carrying a briefcase that would be substantially valuable to the FBI. This had made it a prime target for the pirates. Samar had already rescued the boat's crew. Now only one task remained: get the briefcase off of the boat before the vessel exploded. Ressler had placed a timed explosive device on the boat to kill the pirates and destroy any confidential information they might have obtained.

"Agent Ressler, do you copy?" Aram asked through Ressler's earpiece.

"Son of a bitch!" Ressler growled, loading his gun yet again. "Tell me that you can get us off this _tincan_."

He could hear the pirates getting closer. He feared the tear gas hadn't stunted their movements as much as he'd hoped. He continued firing as he made his way toward Liz's silhouette at the end of the hallway, with the briefcase secure in his hands. Pure Adrenaline counteracted any fear the agents might have otherwise felt.

"How long before this thing blows?" Ressler demanded, firing off another round toward the pirates as he neared Liz.

"Less than two minutes. You need to move," Aram replied..

"I've got the tool kit!" Liz shouted over the sound of the continuing gunfire. She could see Ressler now; he was only feet away. Her heart swelled with relief, and, when she opened the main hatch, fog came rushing in. She and Ressler fled onto the deck, into the damp and dank night air. Liz rummaged through the tool kit for a crowbar, while Ressler hurried to the side of the deck and grabbed two life jackets.

Aram's voice filled Ressler's ear once more. "Agent Ressler, Agent Navabi used the boat you arrived in to transport the crew to safety. You'll need to use the liferaft."

"Copy that," Ressler responded. He strapped his life jacket on and began turning the crank that lowered the liferaft to the water. In rusty condition, it took all of his strength to perform the task. It was difficult resist looking over his shoulder, as he feared the pirates would escape the hatch at any moment. If they did, he knew that he and Liz were severely outnumbered. Not to mention their low supply of ammo. Of course, none of that would matter if they were blown to bits.

"Keen!," he yelled, continuing to struggle with the crank. "Come on!"

Liz finally found the crowbar and jammed it into the wheel on the hatch door. "This won't hold them for long!" She cried, rushing to Ressler's side and grabbing the second life jacket. As she suited up, Aram began to talk hurriedly in both of their ear pieces.

"You two need to get off now," Aram ordered, fear creeping into his voice.

Ressler found the strength to lower the raft the rest of the way, while Liz picked up the briefcase and tossed it onto the raft. Her heart raced as Aram continued to order them to get off the boat. That was when they heard the hatch spring open. Ressler tackled Liz to the ground instinctively, shielding her from the impending gunfire. The two climbed onto the boat's railing, shared a knowing look as the peril they faced was lost on neither of them.

They would have to jump, raft or no raft. "Take my -" Ressler reached his hand out to her, but he was unable to finish the sentence.

A cloud of red-orange flames erupted from the center of the ship, and Liz and Ressler were tossed overboard by the blast. The night air was pierced with the sound of glass shattering and a fire roaring. Debris flew in every direction. The fire made short order of engulfing the ship, and flames danced wildly against the dark sky.

The ocean rolled with the explosion, and Liz was immersed in the cool waters, the waves cascading over her. Her head swam with confusion, as she tried to regain full awareness of her surroundings. She screamed and darted to the right just in time to avoid a large piece of wreckage on its way to the ocean floor. She gasped for air, immediately beginning to swim away from the burning boat, if only to avoid more dangerous debris.

"Aram, I'm okay. Where's Ressler?" She asked breathlessly, and she reached up to feel for her earpiece, which was no longer there.

She felt truly alone, but Ressler had to be somewhere nearby.

"Ressler!" She screamed, panic beginning to course through her veins. She did her best to avoid thinking about the fact that there was nothing but miles of darkness beneath her. She knew that Aram and Samar would arrive soon; she wasn't going to be stranded. But where was her partner? He could have easily been injured during the explosion, but his life jacket should have kept him above water. Unless he was trapped under debris. "Ressler!" She yelled again, turning frantically, looking in every possible direction. Her heart was pounding; her hands were shaking, but it had little to do with the chilly water.

She began to swim back toward the burning boat, running her eyes over the large pieces of debris at the ocean's surface. Her voice grew hoarse as she continued to call his name. She tried not to think about how many minutes had passed, how if he was still underwater, he was now unconscious. Her stomach lurched as the thought of losing him creeped into her mind, and she shook her head adamantly. There was no way she was going to lose him. Not tonight. Not ever.

What sounded like a small explosion made Liz duck her head underwater. When she resurfaced, she saw a brilliant red light, burning north of the boat's bow. _Flares,_ she realized. Something someone could have only gotten from the life raft…

"Ressler," she breathed. Gratefully she began swimming furiously toward the small red light she saw glistening. Every muscle in her body was burning from exhaustion, but she pushed through. She called his name, relieved when she could see him turn his head toward her.

Ressler began to paddle toward Liz's voice, his arms shaking slightly. He hadn't been able to locate her anywhere in the thick debri, and he had begun to fear the worse. "Keen!" He bellowed back, the relief audible in his voice. He threw the paddles into the raft and reached his arm out to her as he approached her. Her arms were freezing, and he helped her onto the raft, pulling her against him.

Her breathing was ragged as she leaned her head against his chest. Her body shivered as she stammered, "I - I thought I lost you for a moment there."

Ressler removed a blanket from a compartment in the raft and wrapped it around her. He rubbed her shoulders and back rapidly, trying to create enough friction to keep her warm. "You gave me quite a scare too," he told her, lifting the corner of the blanket to gently wipe some of the saltwater from her cheek. He didn't even attempt to hide the relief he felt as he held her.

As the ocean continued to rock violently beneath them, they could hear the crackling of the flames in the distance as the ship burned. They clung to one another as the waves rolled around them, sea spray misting their faces. Liz gazed up at him, realizing that despite the uncertainty of their predicament, she felt surprisingly safe.

It was exceedingly unexpected, and yet it felt as natural as anything he had ever done. He returned her gaze, and slowly leaned in until his lips met hers. Liz found herself responding, and the kiss deepened.

Suddenly, the mood was shattered by the distinctive sound of a ship's horn. The kiss abruptly ended as they caught sight of the rotating beam of a ship's searchlight in the distance. Liz's heart leapt with excitement as she realized this meant their team was on the way to rescue them.

As they busied themselves with preparing to abandon the raft, each of them would've been surprised to know that the other was having a similar thought. What was it that they always said? Timing is everything.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Sorry for being such a tease with their first kiss... but I really feel like this is how the characters would respond in such a life/death situation. (Sometime in the future, obviously.) These oneshots aren't in any particular order yet, but I'm hoping to eventually write enough for it to become a story. I hope that you guys enjoyed it, and I will try to write more soon since my finals are almost over. Thanks for all of your reviews - they make my day. If you have anything in particular that you'd like to see, you can message me on here or on Tumblr. My URL is lizziekeen. :)


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